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Thursday, January 15, 2009

I've got lots of modern winter photos, but I went through my collection of scanned vintage ones, and figured out that these two were the oldest winter ones I have. The top one is of my paternal great-grandmother, Marie LEWIS, taken during the Winter of 1916 - 1917, when she was 14 years old. I believe she is in the backyard of her parents' home at 1132 Hoyt Street in Muskegon Heights, Muskegon Co., Michigan.

That appears to be the same setting for the next photo, which features Marie, her husband William Bryan ROBBINS, Sr., and her two sons William Bryan ROBBINS, Jr. and Robert Lewis ROBBINS (holding the cat). Bob was my grandfather. It's also possible that it was next door at 1140 Hoyt Street, since Marie and Bryan were living next door to her parents at that time (Winter 1924 - 1925). I especially love the beautiful coats everyone is wearing in this photo. With her cloche hat and fur-trimmed coat, Marie is certainly showing the flashy side of the Roaring Twenties!

4 comments:

I wonder what the occasion was for her to have her photo taken outdoors without a coat on. I notice she is wearing a short sleeved top. I hope it didn't take too long to take the photo, as it must have been cold outside.

My mother's people were originally Luces from Jersey, Islands who emmigrated to Quebec and New Brunswick - but those who spoke English were called Lewis.I know there were a lot of French Canadians who settled in Michigan and it makes me wonder whether yours might be Jersey Luces?Evelyn in Montrealwww.acanadianfamily.com

The more I look at the first photo, the more I think it looks like the front of a shop and not necessarily the backyard of a home. I wish it weren't cropped. She appears to be in work clothes, doesn't she? Maybe someone got a new camera and was trying it out.

In the second photo, the shadow of the photographer is apparent, and looks (to me) like a man. It was probably Marie's father or one of her many brothers.

Evelyn, my Lewises were English. They came to Rhode Island in the 1600s from England.